Base
Handicaps for boats racing with WSBA will be derived primarily from
the latest Clyde listings and secondarily from the less comprehensive
Byron or RYA listings. Comparisons with all three listings are taken
into account and adjustments applied where it can be justified or
appropriate.

Allowances
to alter a Base Handicap number from an above listings, in order to
match a given WSBA boat configuration, will be made in accordance with
the allowances below. Where the designated club handicap does not
reflect the performance of a particular type of boat (excluding crew
skill factor) further adjustment may be made at the discretion of the
Race Committee.

A
racer may declare after a race that no spinnaker was deployed and gain
+40

A
racer may declare after a race that an asymmetric spinnaker was
deployed and gain +20.

Single handed racers may use an auto-helm

There
will be 20 point compensation given to single handed boats.

There
will be 2% deducted from a boat's handicap after winning each trophy
races during the race season (this to apply for
one season only, the basic handicap will be restored at the start of
each new season).

CONDUCT OF RACES

All
participating vessels must be WSBA members and must sign the WSBA pre-season
disclaimer

A pre-race brief will be held outside the marina facilities building before the
start of each race. The brief will include:

Listing
of participating vessels

Collection of entry fee

Course
details

Target
race start time

Lock out
arrangements

Remainder
of safety requirements

Working
VHF channel for the race

The
race buoys will be laid and recovered by volunteers if
prevailing conditions allow. Otherwise volunteers from the race fleet will
be sought on a rota basis to lay and recover buoys. This is often the
bug-bare of organising the race and if crews are willing to race they must
be willing to take a turn in handling buoys. The basis will be that a
vessels expected to finish the race early will lay the buoys and the slower
vessels will recover buoys.

The
race fleet should look to use the sea lock economically. I.e. get the whole
race fleet out in as few locks as is reasonably practicable. This will help
to consistently meet the agreed start time.

In the
interests of meeting the agreed start time, skippers should proceed to the
muster area on the start side of the start line as soon as possible after
locking out.

The starting procedure will be:

A voice signal on VHF at T-10 with a 5 second count down

Please do not use the VHF race channel after T-10

Engines switched off by the T-5

A voice signal on VHF at T-5 with a 5 second count down

No start signal will be given

After the T-5 signal the race is totally self policing and penalties for
rule infringements must be taken as required and declared. Normal racing
rules of sailing will apply.
All race timing is to be given from a GPS source in hrs; mins; secs.
Skippers are responsible for taking and declaring their finish times in
writing on the declaration form to the race officer ASAP after the race.
All vessels must complete the course as described in the pre race brief to
qualify for a result.

The start line in use is formed by a transit of the Haigh pit head winding
and the Perch to the south of the harbour. A buoy will mark the seaward end
of the start line, this is the OUTER LIMIT and is not necessarily on the
transit line. All yachts must start and finish races by passing between this
buoy and the Perch.

It is
hoped that all competitors conduct the race in a fair manner, however, any
protests should they occur should be immediately reported in writing to the
race secretary on completion of the race.

Every
attempt will be made to calculate and announce the results as soon after the
race as possible. This should be within a couple of hours of the declaration
of all finish times.

LEAGUE TABLE

It is
proposed to operate a league table throughout the season with points awarded
as follows:

1st
5 points

2nd
4 points

3rd
3 points

4th
2 point

5th
1 point

On
completion of the final race of the season, the 5 best results for each
vessel will be submitted and an overall season winner declared (i.e. the
vessel with the most points). A prize for the winner will be sought. In
addition “The Jack Dickson Trophy” will be awarded to the vessel with
the highest score that has not won a trophy during the season.

If there
is a tie at the end of the season, a sail off will be arranged.